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Yanks rally past the Red Sox in 12

The Lowell Sun

Updated:
10/03/2012 06:38:07 AM EDT

NEW YORK (AP) -- Raul Ibanez tied it with a pinch-hit homer in the ninth inning, then had an RBI single in the 12th, helping the Yankees remain a game up on Baltimore in the AL East with one game to go by beating the Boston Red Sox 4-3 on Tuesday night.

Yankees 4, Sox 3

With a second comeback spurred by Ibanez in the last 10 days, the Yankees need a win or Orioles loss on the final day of the season to secure their 13th division title since 1996. The Orioles beat Tampa Bay 1-0 earlier.

If the teams end up even after Wednesday's games, they'll play a tiebreaker Thursday in Baltimore.

The Yankees kept missing chances on a misty night. They were 0-58 when trailing after eight innings this season before rallying in the ninth.

Curtis Granderson led off with a single off closer Andrew Bailey and Ibanez lined a shot to right field to make it 3-all.

Ibanez came up again with two outs in the 12th after Francisco Cervelli walked in his first plate appearance of the year and Granderson drew a walk from Andrew Miller (3-2).

Ibanez hit a grounder out of the reach of shortstop Jose Iglesias and Cervelli flopped into home plate. The Yankees ran out to first base to mob Ibanez, who had a tying two-run homer against Oakland in the 13th inning on Sept. 22. He was doused with a bucket of water during a postgame interview.

"We stuck together. We stayed after them, and we were able to pull it out," Ibanez said. "I was trying not to do too much, and it found a hole.

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Derek Lowe (9-11) pitched two innings for the win.

The Yankees had at least one hit in each of the first six innings.

While the Orioles were chasing the Yankees in the standings, Lowe's outing was delayed briefly in the 12th by another kind of bird. A member of the grounds crew, using a bucket, chased a bird that landed on the infield and was reluctant to fly off.

The Red Sox dropped to 69-92, and the loss ensured they will finish in last place in the East for the first time since 1992.

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